


Barry and Lup have a nerd date

by Sugarberry_and_tea



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Barry Bluejeans and Lup in Love, Barry wins Lup a plushie and she’s v happy about it, F/M, Fluff, arcade date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27700643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarberry_and_tea/pseuds/Sugarberry_and_tea
Summary: Lup and Barry go on a date, Lup falls in love with the stupid cat plushie trapped in the crane game, Barry is a good boyfriend and rescues said cat plushie.
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Barry and Lup have a nerd date

**Author's Note:**

> This is very much self indulgent because I would love to go on an arcade date with a pretty girl and impress her with my mediocre crane game abilities.

Arcade dates were not the most creative dates in the world, but they didn’t have to be. Lup and Barry loved them, they were simple and easy. Taako could judge them all he wanted (though he though wine a pottery was a good date so who is he to cast judgement). The food was cheap, the music was loud and the games were fun and that’s all that mattered. 

And so here they were, at the Adventure zone arcade. Lup was busy trying to romance her wonderfully amazing nerd boyfriend with her dope Pac-man skills. She was full of greasy pizza and soda and she was ready to play some games. Sure Barry had seen her play Pac-Man countless times before but it was the thought that counted. She’d go and be wooed by whatever game he played next, being the wonderfully amazing girlfriend she was, duh. 

And soon her game was up as her little Pac-Man got got by the ghosts, mildly disappointing as it was she’d gotten a pretty good run in and Barry congratulated her on a good job. Plus now that she was done she could hold his hand again and lean on his shoulder. She wiped her hands clean of any sweat and stretched her back, arcade games were fun and all but she was feeling stiff from hunching over for so long, she’d been so concentrated she’d hardly even noticed her bad posture. She’d have to save Barry from making the same mistake as her. She though as she grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, he’ll yeah boyfriend time. 

“Did you see how awesome and amazing I was?” She asked jokingly “best Pac-Man player in the world right here” and he laughed, and her heart jumped. She’d heard his laugh a million times before but it would never get old, and complain as she may she loved the lovestruck feeling she got when he laughed, or complimented her or did anything really. God she was turning into such a sap. 

“Yes babe, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to show up that performance” he joked, sarcasm laced in his voice, and it was her turn to laugh, reveling in the blush that started to dust his cheeks. She couldn’t help herself, she leaned down and gave him a small peck on the cheek, nothing too spicy while they were in public. His blush only grew. You’d think that after dating for years he’d be used to her public displays of affection but she still amazed him in the best of ways. Looking at her laughing face made his heart beat fast, gods he loved this gorgeous woman so much. He managed to stammer out a quick “what do you wanna do now babe” as Lup’s giggles bubbled out. 

“Well I’d love to keep being gushy at this here Pac-Man machine but don’t think that’s an option.” No one had come by to tell them to stop blocking the machine but it was only a matter of time. Some kid would come song sooner or later and want to play Pac-Man. As enticing as it would be to kiss her boyfriend senseless on the spot they’d have to choose something more arcade related. She thought on it for a moment but already knew exactly what she wanted “I wanna see you play something Bear” she said, leaning more of her weight on his shoulders. His hands came up to rest on her ribs, steadying her. It was familiar, this confortable intimacy they had “woo me with your nerd skills” Barry barked out another short laugh at this. 

“Babe you just played Pac-Man for like seven minutes, I’m not the only nerd here” he was right but she still huffed, it was all for show though, her boyfriend was right of course and he knew it. He continued “now what does my nerdy girlfriend want to see me play? I’ll take requests. Wink.” He said wink out loud, he really was spending too much time with her brother. Damn him for being a good boyfriend and getting along with her family. 

“How’s about one of those shooter games, you look hot when you’re all concentrated like that” sue her, he did look good and she could appreciate a good zombie killing game. Hell maybe one of the two player ones would be open and she could let her competitiveness shine through. But maybe she wouldn’t, She appreciated her boyfriend and she loved seeing him in his element. When he got so focused and animated while talking about or doing something he loved. She’d be down to see some of that right now too, and she doubted she’d every get tired of seeing him like that. 

And so they were off, hand in hand towards the other side of the arcade. The shooter machines were housed against the wall, next to the skee ball machines. To get to there you had to walk through a row of games, becuase arcade, duh. The row they were currently walking through was lined with crane machines. The music coming from them was loud and the prizes colorful, perfectly set up to lure in all who walked by. The messages plastered on the sides proclaimed that they were “easy to win, fun to play” which was at least half lies. The fun part, defo true, the easy part not so much. It was a known fact that the machines were rigged, and yet there was always people playing them, hell she’d even gotten looped into them in the past, what could she say, they were good at their job.

Today’s prizes were the usual load of stuff, some crappy plushies, some decent stuff but nothing she really wanted, that was until she saw it. It was a weird plushie to be sure, a hot pink cat with body was shaped like a macaroon. It had teeny little arms and legs sticking out of the filling of the macaroon and was absolutely adorable. Naturally She fell in love with it instantly. The poor thing was trapped, stuck in a nearly empty machine, a layer of glass between it and its new best friend, her. She needed that toy. Yes she was a grown woman, yes she already had quite a few plushies, but she needed this one. And besides she’d be doing it a big favor by saving it from a life of being trapped in the same machine. Barry must of noticed her pause because he too looked at the machine. 

“You want that cat thing don’t you” he knew her well. And she nodded furiously and started digging into her purse. She had some more quarters in here, hopefully enough to win her new friend. 

“Sorry Bear, we can go play your game in like two minutes but I absolutely need to save this little cat. Just Look at him, he’s lonely” Barry gently moved her aside though, and she looked up confused, what was he doing? 

“This little pink toy right?” He asked and once more she nodded, slower this time” Got it” was all he said and he pumped in some quarters until the joystick lit up and the obnoxiously loud music started to play. 

“Babe I could’ve paid” Lup said, though it was too late now, the game had started and Barry was already moving the little joystick around. 

“Yeah you could’ve, but what’s the point of taking your girlfriend to an arcade if you don’t win her at least one prize. I think it’s a rule, if I don’t I think we have to break up or something, I’m not letting that happen” Lup liked the sound of that, somehow the plushie seemed ten times more special if it came from Barry. 

She watched as he maneuvered the claw from the crane over the plush, it fell a little short though and the toy wasn’t even picked up from the ground. She gave Barry an encouraging pat on the shoulder though, he’d get it, she knew he would. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his, feeling the heat of his body against her face. She felt warmed and not just from the contact, here she was, with her amazing boyfriend, who was trying to win a rigged arcade game for her, she felt so lucky. And maybe it was cliche, but it was so sweet that he wanted to win this toy for her. 

Once again the crane was moved into position, Lup adored the cute look of concentration Barry wore. It occurred to her that she was getting her wish, here he was, focused and in his element. He looked perfect. The crane landed right this time and it closed around the wide body of the macaroon cat. Macatroon? That sounded about right. The plushie rose about two inches off the ground before it fell back with a plop. It hadn’t even moved that much closer to the prize chute, stupid rigged machines. But this just seemed to spur Barry on more, he’d paid for another round and got the joystick moving in a blink of the eye. His concentration remained unbroken and Lup reveled in the comfortable silence between them. She didn’t dare speak, didn’t wanna break her boy out of the zone. This time she watched his face as he positioned the game. She took In the look of focus in his eyes, and the reflection the bright lights made in his glasses, the little scrunch of his nose. She found them all so endearing. She was the luckiest girl alive and she knew it. 

This time the plush was picked up, it moved closer and closer to the chute and she really thought they had it this time, but at the last second it slipped free from the claw. Both she and Barry let out twin noises of frustration. Curse these rigged machines, just let her have the toy already. Barry noticed her staring at that moment. “Sorry babe, the machine really doesn’t want to let your cat go” he said sheepishly “I’ll get him though, I promise” and he smiled a smile that melted her heart. She’d have to make his something special for dinner tonight, bake all her warm gushy feelings into it. She nuzzled in closer on his arm. 

“I don’t mind the wait, I’m just enjoying the view.” She said softly “I love you” it slipped out and the effect was immediate. Barry’s cheeks reddened even more than they had before. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it, but every time his reaction was immaculate. 

“I love you too” he said “I love you so much Lup” she could kiss him right now, but they were in a crowded arcade and there was more than a few children around them. They couldn’t get kicked out before she’d got her hands on that plushie. She filed a mental note to kiss Barry’s face off later though, she wasn’t gonna miss out on that for anything. 

The moment passed, though the blush on Barry’s face did not fully disappear, a win for Lup! And he inserted what would hopefully be the last quarter they’d need to win this cat. It lay tauntingly close to the prize chute, so close to being Lup’s at last. Barry once more moved the claw into position and the couple watched with anticipation as the claw lowered and closed around the toy. It lifted and there was a brief moment they worried it would once more fall out, and yet against all odds it didn’t. The claw moved over the chute and then victory! The cat was won. Lup let out a shriek of delight and she rushed to claim her prize, well Barry’s prize but it was for her. Holding her new friend in her hands was so much better than just seeing it through the glass. It was soft and so wonderfully squishy and perfect, and it had been won for her by her boyfriend. 

Her boyfriend who stood there with a dorky smile on his face while he watched her play with her new plush, he looked so happy and pleased with himself and she had to kiss him right then, children be dammed. A little smooching wouldn’t kill anyone. Her arms were around his neck and her lips were on his in a instant. His surprise faded fast and soon he was kissing back. She pulled apart, but kept her arms around his neck. “You’re the best boyfriend in the world, you know that right” she said. She was breathless, she was so happy she could burst and he just stood there smiling that dorky smile she loved so much. 

“Yeah I guess I am” he said “I love you so much Lup” and she did too. Of course she did, how could she not. As far as dates go, she could without a doubt call this one perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Lup definitely sent a picture of the ma-cat-room to Taako to make him jealous, and he wants to convince Kravitz to win him a prize now too. 
> 
> The ma-cat-room plush is based off of a toy I saw at 5 below once and haven’t been able to find again, I can’t find it on the website (though if I do I’ll add a link) but because of this fic I’ve found out that Amazon had loads of cute macaroon themed plushies.


End file.
